1897 Half Sovereign Sydney Mint

1897 Half Sovereign Sydney Mint

COIN

1897 Half Sovereign Sydney Mint

QUALITY

Gem Uncirculated

PROVENANCE

Private Collection Sydney

PRICE

$ 20,000

COMMENTS

This 1897 Sydney Mint Half Sovereign is the absolute finest of its year. That’s not only our opinion, it also was the opinion of the Auction House when it was offered for sale in November 2007. A fiercely contested bidding war saw the coin sell for 50 per cent above its pre-auction estimate of $10,000. Gem Uncirculated is the highest quality level that a collector can aspire to and it is very rarely ever seen, particularly amongst gold coins.

In fact this 1897 Half Sovereign is so good you could be looking at a matte proof. The fields are like satin, the coin has full original mint bloom. The edges are meticulous. The striking is outstanding, the design highly detailed. The coin is truly remarkable.

If further accolades are required then we can only add that this coin is higher in quality than the Choice Uncirculated example housed in the Quartermaster Collection.

Our experiences attest to the scarcity of coins at the supreme quality level of Gem Uncirculated. You can count on the fingers of one hand the number of Gem Uncirculated gold coins that we have handled.

It is as though the coin was struck individually in a controlled environment. And we know that this simply was not the case. The reality is that the Sydney Mint was nothing more than a coining factory.

Miraculously this coin has gone through the minting process and has avoided the contact marks that we typically see in most gold coins.

How do you explain the extraordinary condition in which it is presented?

It was clearly viewed as important from the day it was struck and has had special care ever since to preserve its original pristine state.

My experience in the industry has taught me that top coins represent opportunities. They are a chance happening that offers an advantage, both emotionally and financially.

You get to own the best which is emotionally rewarding. From a monetary perspective, top quality specimens are the most sought after making them a financially rewarding exercise as well.